Bonacic says governor's casino bill could fail in referendum

ALBANY — State Sen. John Bonacic says the governor's casino bill isn't transparent enough, unwisely locks out Queens and a referendum as proposed could fail in November.

Victor Whitman

ALBANY — State Sen. John Bonacic says the governor's casino bill isn't transparent enough, unwisely locks out Queens and a referendum as proposed could fail in November.

Bonacic, R-C-Mount Hope, who chairs the Senate's judiciary and wagering committees, raised several issues in a news release about Gov. Andrew Cuomo's proposed bill to allow up to three full-service casinos upstate, two video slot machine centers in western New York and place a moratorium on casinos in New York City.

Legislative leaders will try to reach a deal by June 20 that would set up a statewide referendum in November.

Bonacic recently proposed his own bill, which would give Sullivan County potentially two casinos and allow for one more in Ulster County, and four others in defined regions.

Bonacic said he wants the final bill to spell out the locations more clearly than Cuomo's proposal does.

"The Governor calls this an upstate economic development act," Bonacic said. "I do believe he wants jobs upstate. I am concerned, however, that his desired jobs will not materialize unless there is broader transparency and more specificity as to where all seven of the proposed casinos will go."

Bonacic specifically criticized Cuomo's proposal to lock out Genting's Resorts World Casino, which offers electronic slot machines at Aqueduct racetract in Queens, but leave the possibility open for a future casino on Long Island.

"I have seen no evidence that Long Islanders — who are a sizable portion of the State's population, want casino gaming on Long Island," Bonacic said. "Under my plan, casino revenue would be directed to revitalize Belmont, which I think Long Islanders would be more supportive of, rather than placing a new casino in an unnamed backyard in a Long Island community."

Bonacic noted that the governor announced in 2012 a major convention center at Aqueduct but was unable to come to terms with Genting. The senator said the bill appeared to be aimed negatively at Genting and the Seneca Nation, which is in arbitration with the state over alleged breaches of the Senecas' casino gambling compact.

"I can also appreciate the governor's desire to have some leverage over the Seneca, given that they are the only nation who has not resolved their differences with the state," Bonacic said. "For the referendum to pass though, we need as much transparency as possible in terms of site selection for gaming locations — we don't need to hold back four casinos as leverage, while only locating three now. Voters deserve to know where the casinos will go, and more importantly, where they will not be allowed, in order to vote in an educated way this November."